Keeping Poults Cool

[gallopingfrog]

Hi there! I have a handful of 2-3 week old turkey poults that are getting hot in our Arizona heat (already - it’s 108 today ). This year was a bit different, as I didn’t have an inside space to put a brooder, so we used the empty coop to build a brooder in. We turn on lamps at dusk. We turn them off about 9 AM, and then let them out of the brooder into the actual coop so they can get plenty of airflow. There’s plenty of shade and water available to them.

They’re doing great but it’s only getting hotter every day and they’re definitely struggling to stay cool. I was wondering if anyone had any ideas on keeping them cool besides fresh drinking water. I have put out some ice and fruit blocks to let them chip away at, but they’re not really all interested.

Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated. I still have nowhere to move them indoors so that’s, unfortunately, not an option. Thank you!

 

[R2elk]

Hi there! I have a handful of 2-3 week old turkey poults that are getting hot in our Arizona heat (already - it’s 108 today ). This year was a bit different, as I didn’t have an inside space to put a brooder, so we used the empty coop to build a brooder in. We turn on lamps at dusk. We turn them off about 9 AM, and then let them out of the brooder into the actual coop so they can get plenty of airflow. There’s plenty of shade and water available to them.

They’re doing great but it’s only getting hotter every day and they’re definitely struggling to stay cool. I was wondering if anyone had any ideas on keeping them cool besides fresh drinking water. I have put out some ice and fruit blocks to let them chip away at, but they’re not really all interested.

Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated. I still have nowhere to move them indoors so that’s, unfortunately, not an option. Thank you!

Once they are bigger, some people put out shallow pools for them to wade in. I would not do so with new poults.

@memphis provides her turkeys with fans that they stand in front of.

 

[memphis]

Hard to see....but that red thing is a wading pool. Notice the fan. They use the fans!

 

[kerbotx]

Standing in cool water is the best thing they can do to cool themselves down - just size it down appropriately for their size/age. Use a rubber feed pan or a litter box, but only put 1/2" of water in it, if that. Or use the drip trays that go under big houseplants. My chickens have a shallow ditch running through their pen for the rain in Spring, but in the summer I'll wet that ground down for them, and they lay on the cool dirt. I don't have fans outside, but I do use them in the coop, one to blow hot air out, and one to bring cooler air in. And dirt baths help too!

 

[Ian zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz]

Try ice in their water.